Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-12
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pxacttcal PenOlOgy.

Practical Pen0logy.
The reform of criminals has be-
come a subject of deep study with
modern philanthropists. When John
Howard, at the close of the last CEN
tury. devoted his life to the ameliora-
ton of The prison systems in Europe,
he was confronted with facts that
can hardly be realized at the present
time. The jails were charnel houses,
and the. treatment of the prisoners
was so heartless and cruel--so UNI
mitigated by any considerations OF
humanity--that the incarcerated
men and women We're divested by it
of every attribute that separated
them from the brute creation. Ii
was Clement the Ninth, if we recol-
lect arieht, who first acted upon the
principle OF modern penologists, and
placed above the gates of the jails OF
Rome that punishment for crime
should be an education leading to re-
FORM The result OF Howard's great
work was to modify the discipline OF
prisons from brutality to humanity
that is, he carried the system out OF
its brutal depths and compelled the
Governors of jails to accord TO their
charges the natural rights of human
beings. From this came systematic
work, decent food and quarters which,
il not such as we would consider
comfortable now, were at least lux
urioas for prisons that had before
been nothing but heli-holes.
In the last thirty years, how
ever. philanthropists have gone
farther. The humanities had
been complied with, but the
numbers OF the criminal class still
grew apace. 1t was seen that society
must suffer if this class should be per-
mitted to increase indefinitely, and
tina. brought up the question whether
it would not be more generally profit
able to devise some means to bring
criminals into the industrial pursuits
by system OF reformation applied to
the individuals. Hence has arisen
the great interest of modern times in
what is called the science of PEN
ology. Some of the best minds of
our time have grappled with this
phase OF the subject, but the progress
made has not been encouraging, If
we take the practical results so far
achieved. The criminal class con-
tinues to grow; our prisons have to
be enlarged and the pressure upon
the taxpayers becomes more intoler-
able as the cost to support punitive
institutions increases. 1t seems as if
theory on this subject had merely
demonstrated its inefiicacy, and be-
come q sort of hobby for doctrinaires,
without practical outcome. But now,
at last comes glimmer OF hope. In
the North American Revie,o for May
appears paper from II. J. W. Dam,
who was the Executive Secretary of
Governor Stoneman, and who in his
official capacity had a great
deal to do with the prisons
of this State. The lesson
which his paper teaches is this
that if any reform OF prisoners is to
be achieved it must be through the
practical management OF the prisons
that no 6ne.spun theories are going
to accomplish it, but that the man
who has charge OF a penitentlary
must be equal to all the requirements
of the place, not only in the physical
and moral qualities to conduct it,
but in that higher knowledge of hui
man nature which when practically
applied acts upon the wants and de-
sires ofindividuals, and through those
wants and desires teaches them, by
lessons not to be misunderstood or TO
leave but a momentary impression,
that it pays to do right-that reforma-
ton brings with it benefits which
overweight all the ephemeral adj
vantages OF wrongdoing. Mr.. Dam
shows that at the Folsom State
Prison, General McComb, the war
den, has pursued system that has
had the most wonderful effects. The
convict arrives at it, and is left to
study out his own salvation. He is
given no liberty-no freedom. He
eats at the first table, which has no
savory dishes; indeed, which is only
provided with the plainestIand poor
est prison fare. He soon finds that
there is second table, at which con-
victs who work in the yard take their
meals, and that the fare at this table I
= * superior to that be eats At. He !.
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